Also I found that just the weight loss & watching the scale go down in numbers was almost an addicting feeling even without body image issues. Even my MIL when I was first married started on this diet that really worked well for her & she had problems stopping the weight loss.....& I know for me that stress is my trigger because it makes me fell so sick that I can't eat without the nausea & I HATE getting sick to my stomach.....so I end up not eating......& as soon as the weight starts going down......it's like I keep it going sometimes even after I'm through the stress....& my weight is so low that I can't afford to do that & stay healthy.

To answer your other question....yes, there can be those who do need to be recognized or they are around others who have ED issues in their life & want to be like them to "fit in"......I know that after going through a trauma that I went through when my mother was dying of cancer......being in the hospital for IV nutrition.....almost felt good to have someone taking care of ME & caring about me after everything that I went through on top of having a bad marriage & a dysfunctional H.....it wasn't intentional to get the care, but it sure felt good & that good feeling can be reason enough to continue the behavior for some.....it took me several years to recover from that especially since I ended up having some PTSD issues that lingered on & I even struggle with at times now 9 years later.

The thing with ED's is that there are a lot of reasons it starts....& there are lots of reasons it continues....but they are as individual as the people who are struggling with it.....there is no book that defines what makes a person get or keep an ED.......that's why therapy is so very important.